In cold temperatures, conventional engines can have difficulty starting. There are several reasons for this depending on the type of engine. For example, for an engine that operates off a battery, batteries often have trouble during cold temperatures. Batteries include chemicals inside thereof that produce electrons, and chemical reactions inside the battery can take place slower in cold temperatures and thus produce less electrons. As a result, the starter motor has less energy when trying to start the cold engine, and therefore the engine cranks much slower when it is colder.
Another reason for difficulty starting an engine during cold temperatures is the viscosity of the oil inside the starting system. Oil viscosity increases in cold temperatures and thus makes it more difficult to crank an engine.
In a conventional crawler loader, for example, pressure inside the crawler's engine starting system is built up by a charging pump. The loader can include an engine for producing power to drive the machine, and during an engine start the engine rotates a shaft coupled to the charging pump. During normal operation, the oil inside the pump has a viscosity which allows the pump to rotate and build up pressure. However, during cold temperatures, the oil inside the charging pump increases in viscosity and resists being moved by the shaft. This resistance causes a parasitic load to be placed on the engine and increases the difficulty of starting the engine. In other words, if the engine is unable to crank due to the parasitic load, the engine either will not start or may have difficulty starting.
A need therefore exists to provide an improved way of starting an engine during cold temperatures. In particular, there is a need for reducing the parasitic load when starting an engine in cold temperatures.